Dual femur scan
Also called: bilateral hip DXA, both hips bone density
What it means
A dual femur scan is a DXA bone density test that measures both hips at once, instead of just one.
Comparing both hips can reveal differences in bone density that affect your personal fracture risk and care plan.
A dual femur scan is a bone density test that measures both the left and right hip, instead of just one side. It's done using a DXA machine (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), the same technology used for spine and single-hip scans. The scan is quick, painless, and uses a very low dose of radiation.
Doctors sometimes order a dual femur scan when there's a reason to think bone density might differ between hips, such as prior hip surgery, hardware, arthritis, or a fracture on one side that would make a single-hip reading unreliable. Scanning both hips can also give a more complete picture of overall fracture risk, since results are reported as a T-score or Z-score for each side.
Your results will usually show BMD for the femoral neck and total hip on each leg. Your doctor uses the lower or more clinically relevant value, along with your FRAX score and other factors, to help assess fracture risk and guide decisions about monitoring or treatment. Any questions about what your results mean should go to your prescriber or doctor.
Scanning both hips at once can reveal density differences that shape your personal fracture risk.
Where this leads
WordSince both hips get measured, see how total hip BMD turns those numbers into a score doctors track over time.
Related words
A DEXA scan is a low-radiation X-ray test that measures how much mineral is in your hip and spine bones, giving you…
The femoral neck is the angled part of bone joining your hip ball to your thigh bone shaft, and it's the most common…
A T-score shows how your bone density compares to a healthy young adult, measured in standard deviations, and it's…
A Z-score compares your bone density to other people your own age and sex, which matters most for younger adults,…
FRAX is a free online tool that calculates your 10-year probability of having a major osteoporotic fracture or hip…
Total hip BMD is the average bone density measured across your whole hip joint on a DEXA scan, used to help diagnose…
Education only, not medical advice. Decisions about tests, medications and treatment belong with your own doctor. OsteoStrong does not diagnose, treat or cure any disease.
